Token Seasonal Special: Halloween
by KaorinPaintsTheStars
Summary: It's Halloween, and ghost research is high on the agenda for one of Professor Raine's holiday essays.


A/N: Just a short story I put together during cancelled lectures today. Thought I'd try to get into the Halloween spirit despite the wonderfully bleak British weather, and also to and attempt a slightly different writing style. Purely throwaway fun, so enjoy. :)

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"Lloyd, is this _really_ necessary?" Genis's normally mild voice was tempered with a strange, nervous edge as the group of five silhouettes made their way through the darkened streets of Iselia. "The Professor said we only had to _write_ an essay – not do research on the subject too."

"Aw, come_ on_, Genis – it'll be fun. Hey, you're not _scared_ are you?"

"O-of course not." The half-elf sounded indignant. "It just…seems pointless, that's all."

"Ha! I knew it – you _are_ scared!"

"Oh shut up Lloyd! I'm not. Anyway, I suppose we should be glad that you're at least making an effort with _some_ of our schoolwork."

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_Greetings to you, the reader. This is Presea. While my companions are occupied with their dispute, please allow me to explain why you have found Lloyd, Genis, Colette, Sheena and myself walking through Iselia at night._

_In keeping with the Halloween festivities that are currently proceeding throughout the village, Professor Raine has instructed her class to write an essay on the supernatural history of Iselia. It would appear that such lessons in education override more essential tasks – such as releasing Origin's seal and uniting the two worlds. So now you find us enacting Lloyd's research proposal of sneaking into the schoolhouse in order to witness the fabled arrival of one of the village's better known ghosts._

_I must confess that the thought processes of my companions still confuse me…_

-

Colette's voice cheerfully interrupted the bickering friends. "Hehe, I hope we get to meet the ghost. I've never seen one before – I wonder what he or she's like?"

Genis raised an eyebrow. "You have to be joking! It's the ghost of an old schoolmaster from long ago. Apparently she died trying to defend the school from burglars and now she turns up at midnight the same time every year - Halloween. If anybody sneaks in then it is said she'll appear and ask them questions like she used to do with her class when she was alive."

Colette thought about the legend for a second. "Hm, doesn't sound too bad. Do you get a reward if you get it right?"

"Nope," Lloyd looked round and pulled a parody of a scary face. "But if you get it wrong then she takes you away with her forever."

"Ooh," Colette squealed excitedly. "Kind of like a ghostly detention then, huh? No wonder you're scared, Genis."

"For the last time –I'm not scared!"

Presea held up the pumpkin lantern she was carrying and nodded. "Howl! It is wise to be unafraid Genis, for I do not believe that any ghost will appear. They are creations from folklore and tales – designed to both entertain and instil discipline within a society. It is irrational to give credence to such fables."

Genis laughed nervously. "Haha, yeah – that's exactly right Presea. They don't exist. They don't exist."

Sheena stifled a yawn, "Regardless of whether ghosts exist or not, I don't see why Presea and me had to come. We don't even attend your school." She looked down at herself and sighed. "…And seriously, did we need to dress up for this too?"

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_Presea information broadcast #2_

_Ah yes, a second detail that I forgot to include earlier. For this excursion Lloyd deemed it appropriate that we should get into the 'spirit' of things by wearing suitable Halloween costumes. Thus we have; Lloyd the vampire, Genis the zombie, Colette the mummy, Sheena the succubus (I believe I am 85 certain that Zelos had a hand in the choice and costume selection), whilst Lloyd and Genis selected my outfit – a werewolf. I think my time would have been spent more productively tonight if I had stayed at home…_

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"Hmm, I still say you must have lost some of your costume along the way," replied Lloyd, avoiding looking at the purple haired girl. "I mean…it's a little…"

"Well if I'd actually had a say in what I was going to be then there wouldn't be a problem," retorted Sheena, folding her arms defensively.

Genis dropped back beside Presea as the group passed by a troupe of giggling children in similarly styled outfits heading into the centre of the town.

"You look cool Presea! How's your costume?"

Presea shook her head. "Howl! My fake ears, tail and whiskers kept felling off earlier, but they seem to be fine now. The fake fur makes my skin itch though." She paused, "…I still do not see why I wasn't allowed to catch and skin a wild wolf. It's fur would have made the costume significantly more authentic."

Even under the zombie face paint, Genis had visibly paled. "Um…you were going to do what?"

Presea tried to smile, but the fake fangs she had in her mouth felt a little unsteady – the end result causing her to produce a menacing looking grin. "Genis…that was a…joke. Howl?"

The half elf breathed a sigh of relief as Presea clapped a hand over her mouth to adjust the fangs. "Oh…it's just, you looked _so_ scary."

"Hey guys," whispered Lloyd, "We're here."

The group of five stared up at the darkened schoolhouse which, in turn, stared imposingly back. With no lights on inside, and the enormous full moon looming overhead, the building that was the centre of so much fun and learning during the day suddenly looked very cold and very creepy.

Genis cleared his throat nervously. "Uh…are you _sure_ –"

"All right!" Lloyd cried excitedly, overriding the young half elf and waving a fist in the air. "Let's go!"

With the young man leading, the group crept along the path towards the door of the school – their lanterns the only thing giving away their position in the moonlight forsaken ground. Dashing to the front door, Lloyd grabbed hold of the handle and gave it a good tug.

"Huh? It's locked?" The young man stared dumbly at the thick, solid wood – perplexed.

Sheena rolled her eyes, and tried to pull the skirt section of her costume down so it covered a little more of her legs. "Er, of _course_ it's going to be locked! Why would the school be open at this time of night? Yeesh."

Presea scratched at her arm. "Howl…Did you not foresee such an obstacle?"

Lloyd looked about. "No! But…wait, there's _gotta_ be another way in!"

"Can I have a go?" Colette bounded up towards the door but tripped on several bandages from her costume that had become loose around her legs and feet. She let out a confused "eek" and fell forward straight into the door. Despite its obviously solid construction, the door gave way under the Chosen's onslaught and fell inwards off its hinges.

The other four members of the group stared through the doorway at Colette as the young Chosen unsteadily picked herself up off the floor. She dusted herself down and stooped to tuck the loose bandages into the rest of her costume.

"Um…oops."

"Woah! Well done Colette!" Lloyd cried, oblivious to the wider implications of the damaged door.

"Oh no," sighed Genis. "Raine's gonna be so mad."

Sheena stepped through the doorway into the dark corridor and looked at the ruined hinges. "Oh boy, you certainly do have a funny kind of luck Colette."

The young Chosen grinned and rubbed the back of her head. "Ah…hehe, at least we're in now though, right?"

The door at the end of the corridor that led to their classroom looked ominously at them as they approached. Moonlight spilled from a tiny gap under it and the silent night air was punctuated with the sound of floorboards creaking as the group stood around deciding what to do.

"So…the ghost is supposed to appear in the classroom, right?" Lloyd looked over his shoulder at the others, his voice a little more apprehensive this time.

Presea was stooping down on the floor to pick up her loose tail. "That is what you specified earlier," she confirmed – reattaching the fake limb to her outfit. "Um…howl!"

"Right. Good. Hey Genis, open the door then so we can go in."

"What? Why me?" The half-elf protested. "Besides, you're in front of it – you do it!"

"Uh…Colette? You want to do this door as well?"

The Chosen shook her head, adjusting the bandages round her face so they were out the way of her eyes. "Um…no, it's okay. Besides, I did the front door! You open it Lloyd – you're brave!"

Lloyd paused, staring at the door. Even in the shadows he looked pale. "Um…yeah, sure." The young man looked across at Sheena, who shook her head insistently. "Hey, don't look at me – this is for _your_ homework remember!"

"Oh…but, well – you're the _oldest_ – you _should_ go first."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean? Besides, technically –"

"Inefficiency of time management due to indecisiveness: High." Presea stepped forward and grabbed the handle. "I shall open the door. Howl."

Lloyd stared at the pink haired girl. "What's with all the 'howls'?"

Presea adjusted her fake ears. "I am attempting to be authentic," she replied as she pushed the door. "I will rotate the usage of werewolf affiliated words though. The door is open," she paused in the doorway, "um…woof."

Lloyd started blankly at the small girl. "Uh…_woof_?"

"Wow! Presea's so cool!" Genis squeaked, ignored his friend's bemused look. "She's really dedicated!"

"C'mon guys, let's get this over with." Sheena followed the pink haired girl into the abandoned classroom. The room looked ominous, with rows of deserted tables and chairs coated in the shadows cast from where the moonlight shining through the windows couldn't reach. An eerie silence grew thick and heavy in the air as the five friends stood in the centre of the room, looking around for a few moments.

"Well," said Genis, breathing a sigh of relief, "It doesn't look like the ghost is here. Let's go."

"Argh, but why not? It's past midnight, right?" Lloyd sounded annoyed by the absence of any spirit, but there was a hint of something else in his voice too. Like relief.

"Do we have to say or do something to get the ghost to appear?" Colette, by contrast, sounded thoroughly disappointed.

Presea walked to a large vase in the corner of the room and examined it. "Bark! I believe it unlikely that there has ever been a ghost here."

The pink haired girl, like everyone else in the room, jumped in the air with fright as a rumbling female voice suddenly broke out in the silence.

"WHO DARES DISTURBS MY SLUMBER?"

Presea fell backwards into the vase, sending it teetering on its edge for what felt like a painfully long time before the small girl grabbed it and straightened the ornament sheepishly.

"HEY! WATCH OUT! THAT'S A VERY PRECIOUS VASE FROM THE ESSA ERA!"

Sheena frowned as she looked about the room. "Uh…what?"

There was a slight paused, before the voice rung out again. "Ahem. SPEAK NOW. WHY HAVE YOU COME HERE AND AWOKEN ME?"

Lloyd glanced around the room, looking slightly panic-stricken. "U-uh, uh…we came here to…um…uh, sorry for waking you!"

"Y-yeah," stammered Genis. "We're sorry for trespassing too."

"YOU ARE RIGHT TO APOLOGISE, FOR MY ANGER IS LIMITLESS. I AM FURIOUS ENOUGH THAT YOU DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER YOURSELVES TO RESEARCH THE MANY WELL DOCUMENTED WAYS TO SUMMON ME."

Presea adjusted her fake fangs and cocked her head to one side. "Growl. I am confused. If we did not summon you then why is it that you have appeared? It seems illogical."

There was another pause.

"ENOUGH! I AM THE GHOST OF THE OLD SCHOOLMASTER AND YOU HAVE TRESPASSED INTO MY DOMAIN. I WILL NOW ASK YOU A QUESTION –"

"_Oh no_," cried Genis looking around in alarm. "If we get it wrong we're doomed."

The voice of the ghost sighed loudly. "DO _NOT_ INTERRUPT. MY TIME HERE IS SHORT SO I WILL ASK JUST ONE OF YOU IN PLACE OF THE WHOLE GROUP. MY SPECIALITY WAS MATHEMATICS, SO THIS WILL BE THE SUBJECT OF MY QUESTION."

Colette jumped up and down excitedly. "Ooh, this is so thrilling. We're mostly good at maths so we should be okay."

"THE ONE WHO WILL ANSWER MY QUESTION SHALL BE…LLOYD."

Genis slumped to the floor with a cry. "…We're doomed."

"Shut it Genis," retorted Lloyd. "Hey, wait a minute – how do you know my name Mrs…um, Schoolmaster."

"AH…THAT IS…UM…YOU ARE TAUGHT IN THIS FACILITY DURING THE DAY. DO NOT THINK THAT I DON'T KNOW EVERYONE WHO PASSES THROUGH MY DOMAIN."

Sheena looked across at Presea, the eyebrows of both raising.

"This seems a little odd," she said.

"Woof," replied Presea in agreement.

"VERY WELL. MY QUESTION IS THIS. I HAVE 73 SOULS IN MY POSSESSION, 46 MALE AND 27 FEMALE. 16 MALE AND 5 FEMALE ESCAPE FROM MY DOMAIN ONE NIGHT, BUT DURING THE SAME NIGHT I ALSO CAPTURE MORE SOULS: 7 MALE AND 13 FEMALE. WHAT IS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SOULS, _AND_ THE INDIVIDUAL NUMBER OF EACH GENDER, IN MY POSSESSION AT THE END OF THE NIGHT?"

Lloyd blinked, "Uh…"

"IS 'UH' YOUR FINAL ANSWER?"

"Waah, no it's not!" Lloyd closed his eyes in thought. "Um…let's see." The others watched with baited breath for what seemed like an age as he began to mentally work out the sum. After a great length of time, the young man opened his eyes.

"Um…how many souls did you have to begin with again?"

"Argh," cried his friends in unison.

"ARGH," cried the ghost in disbelief. "DID YOU NOT LEARN ANYTHING IN CLASS? VERY WELL – YOU FORFEIT THE QUESTION AND MUST BE PUNISHED. I HAVE SUMMONED A MINION FROM MY DOMAIN. HE WILL BRING YOU BACK TO MY REALM WHERE YOU WILL SERVE ME FOREVER."

As if on cue, a strange shuffling – coupled with a low moaning – could suddenly be heard from the storage cupboard in the classroom. The five friends watched in horror as the handle clicked and the door began to slowly open, the sound of jingling chains filling the air.

"Nooo," cried Lloyd and Genis together as they backed away from the opening door. Colette looked across at Presea and Sheena who were sidling towards the door from the classroom.

"This isn't so exciting anymore," she moaned. "In fact, it's a little scary."

The door was open fully now and a shambling silhouette dressed, by the looks of it, in rags could be seen making its way into the classroom. What looked like shackles gleamed in the moonlight as it moved closer with a low groaning, the shadows hiding it's features.

Sheena looked across at Genis, wide-eyed. "Genis! It's undead! Use your magic on it!"

"I can't," replied the half-elf weakly. "I left by Kendama behind at the house."

"I suggest that we retreat to the school's exterior," said Presea with more haste than was usual for her. "…Yip."

"Sound's good to me!" Lloyd, quickly followed by Genis and then the others, sprinted through the door and followed the corridor to emerge, gasping, outside the school.

"We made it," Sheena panted, pausing to adjust her costume.

Colette slumped heavily down on the ground to catch her breath. "I wonder…do you think the ghost is lonely, and that's why she's trying to capture souls?" The young Chosen smiled brightly. "Perhaps she just wants to make friends."

"Don't even _go_ there Colette," wheezed Genis.

"Yeah," agreed Lloyd, "She's always got the freaky chain monster to keep her company."

"And me," said another voice.

"Right! And…" Lloyd paused and looked behind at where the voice was coming from. On the rooftop of the school stood a tall imposing figure, bedecked in red clothing, hat and cape.

Colette followed the young man's gaze up and gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. "Oh my, _another_ spirit?"

"Huh, you insult me fair maiden," replied the man in red. "I am no spirit. Rather, I am flesh and blood like yourself – and, as such, full of the carnal human desires which _must_ be sated."

He dropped down onto the ground in one, lithe, movement. "Now, which lucky maiden gets to be whisked away by yours truly?"

His gaze scanned the group as he approached, taking in each of the females in turn before coming to rest on Sheena.

"Ah, and who could resist such an alluring outfit? It shows off so many fine curves and features of the body, hmm…and even _improves_ some of them."

"W-what?" Sheena backed away from the figure. "Get away from me you pervert or you won't know what's hit you!"

"Oh, please. There's no need to be so defensive – I can already tell that you've fallen for the dashing Red Warlock." He approached with arms open wide. "Now come to me, fair maiden. Come to –"

"I said _get off!_" In a single fluid movement, Sheena grabbed one of the man's outstretched arms and dropped down on one knee – flipping him over her shoulder. The Red Warlock went crashing to the ground with a very undignified "Ow!"

The group watched as the man scrabbled around for his misplaced hat, then gasped in disbelief as the moonlight fell on his face, lighting up the man's sheepish expression.

"What?" Cried Lloyd. "_Zelos?_"

"Ahaha, yes…um…" The red haired man looked across at the schoolhouse. "The gig's up guys."

Lloyd and the others looked across as two familiar figures exited the building.

"The ghost and the chain monster!" Colette squealed, excited once again. But as the two figures came closer into the glare of the moonlight, the group gasped once again.

"Raine?" Genis shook his head. "_You're _the ghost? And Regal – you're the chain monster?"

"Huh?" Sheena looked about, confused. "What's going on?"

"It would appear that we have been the subject of an unpleasant joke," replied Presea sitting down. "And I have run out of wolf-like sounds to say."

"Huh? Is that true?" Lloyd looked at the amused pair, looking confused.

Raine couldn't stop laughing. "Haha, it was _so_ funny. You should have seen your faces."

Regal nodded, his amused face matching Raine's. "Indeed – it was quite humorous. The voice amplification spell was quite impressive."

"What?" Genis rounded on his sister. "How could you do that?"

Raine waved a hand. "Oh, I didn't mean to – but I overheard your plans to come looking for the ghost at the school and I couldn't help myself."

Colette rose to her feet, seeing the funny side. "It all makes sense when you think about it. I guess we must have looked quite silly," she laughed.

Lloyd groaned. "All three of you were in on it! Aw, _man_! That's why you didn't come with us. _So_ unfair!"

Zelos stood up, massaging his arm. "Yeah, shame it was all over so quickly though – thanks to the feisty seductress over there!"

"Hey, that was your fault! Coming over all sleazy like that." Sheena retorted, self consciously pulling at her outfit to extend its length again. "But then again, I should've known it was you from the lame attempts at being dashing."

Zelos slumped down again. "Ouch…"

Before he could reply further, there was a rustling in the bushes beside them, and the group all spun around in alarm. Whatever was making the noise, it seemed to be getting closer.

"Wh-what's that?" Genis whispered, backing up until he was beside Presea, who was scratching absently at her fake ears. "Another part of your joke?

"No…this has nothing to do with me," replied his sister, looking concerned.

Regal wiped his brow. "It's probably just a wild animal."

Presea flicked one her whiskers absently. "The chances of a wild animal entering a town are quite low, but it _is_ a possibility."

Lloyd didn't look relieved by the news. "Uh…yeah. So…how about we all just go back home now, eh?"

Suddenly, a tall figure emerged from the bushes, carrying what looked like a lantern and a bucket – its features obscured by the bright light spilling forth from the lantern.

"Argh! M-monster!" Genis cried, his nerves stretched to breaking point.

"It-it's the real ghost!" added Lloyd, and the pair sprinted away from the school – the rest of the group following right behind them.

"Hmph." Kratos paused amongst the bushes and set the lantern down onto the ground. He took a sweet from the bucket full of confectionery he held, and popped it into his mouth.

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN!"

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A/N: Well, if you reached this point then let me thank you for taking the time to read this and hope you have a great Halloween. :)


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